Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced criticism on Tuesday from haredi politicians for having eaten in a non-kosher restaurant serving rabbit, escargot and lobster during a recent trip to Italy, AFP reports.
A haredi news website quoted officials from the United Torah Judaism alliance, part of Netanyahu's coalition, as saying that eating in a non-kosher restaurant was unacceptable for a prime minister of the Jewish state.
It said he had eaten over the weekend at Enoteca Pinchiorri, a restaurant Michelin calls one of Florence's "temples of gourmet dining".
United Torah Judaism holds seven seats in parliament, where Netanyahu's coalition has only a one-seat majority following March elections.
An official in the prime minister's office confirmed that Netanyahu "was invited to a restaurant by the Italian prime minister (Matteo Renzi), but he did not eat forbidden foods".
"This is also the procedure he always follows during his trips abroad," the official said.